Wednesday, 27 November 2024

Housing

Will FOWLES (Ringwood) (10:17): I rise today to deliver some home truths.

Home truth: tonight in Victoria more than 22,000 people are homeless, including more than 6000 people aged under 25. Many of these young people have grown up in violent households, and most are known to child protection agencies. They are our most vulnerable Victorians.

Home truth: homelessness services are overwhelmed, turning away 295 requests every day right across the nation. The scale of the crisis is clear: right now there are 61,587 households waiting for social housing in Victoria.

Home truth: one in three renters are expressing housing stress, spending more than 30 per cent of their income just to keep a roof over their heads. The dream of a secure home is fading fast. In the past 12 months rents in Melbourne surged by well over 10 per cent, making it even harder for low-income households to survive.

Home truth: three in five Victorian renters now believe they will never own a home. For many home ownership has become a distant dream, especially for younger generations facing skyrocketing housing costs.

Home truth: the reality for many Victorians is that it now takes over 10 years to save for a deposit on a home. The people of Victoria deserve houses. They deserve homes. What they do not need is more backlogs, barriers and broken promises. The time for talk is over. It is time for change.